Adjustable tool holder

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is an adjustable rack ideally adapted to hold hand tools such as wrenches. It comprises two rack members having opposing recesses for holding objects. The rack members are connected by two pivotally connected intersecting arms which form an X-support. The ends of the arms are pivotably connected to the rack members. There are a plurality of connection locations along both the arms and the rack members which permits a change in the geometry of the rack to hold a wide variety of tools of different lengths.

Umted States Patent 1111 3,822,019

Baatz .1 July 2, 1974 [54] ADJUSTABLE TOOL HOLDER FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1 1 lnvnmri Jemlme T- B8311, 412 Paragon, 397,111 8/1933Great Britain 211/178 R Troy, Mlch- 48084 15,722 7/1909 Great Britain211/60 R [22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 307,447

[52] US. Cl. 211/60 T, 206/16 D, 248/167 [51] Int. Cl B25h 3/04 [58]Field of Search 211/42, 43, 60 R, 60 T, 211/69, 60 A, 69.9, 175,64, 105;206/16 D, 17, 17.1; 248/167, 37.3; 108/54 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 164,386 6/1875 Merrick 248/164 317,468 5/1885 Morstatt248/421 X 639,740 12/1899 Kirby 211/699 X 1,186,032 6/1916 Peele 248/1672,599,863 6/1952 Riemvis 248/167 3,477,586 11/1969 Haluska 211/643,702,136 11/1972 Albertson 211/60 T Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons,Jr. Assistant Examiner-Abraham Frankel Attorney, Agent, or Firm-JosephD. Odenweller [5 7] ABSTRACT Disclosed herein is an adjustable rackideally adapted to hold hand tools such as'wrencliies. It comprises tworack members having opposing recesses for holding objects. The rackmembers are connected by two pivotally connected intersecting arms whichform an X- support. The ends of the arms are pivotably connected to therack members. There are a plurality of conned tion locations along boththe arms and the rack members which permits a change in the geometry ofthe rack to hold a wide variety of tools of different lengths.

l ADJUSTABLE TOOL HOLDER BACKGROUND Tool racks used in the past are offixed size which requires a different tool rack when the rack is used tohold a different size set of tools for which it was originallyconstructed. The present invention overcomes this problem and makesavailable an adjustable tool rack that can be adjusted to accept toolsof varying length.

SUMMARY The present invention comprises a tool rack compris- 7DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective of tool holderadapted to hold wrenches.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a number of geometrical patterns which can beachieved with but one rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the rackcomprises first and second rack member 1 and 2. These may be constructedof readily available sheet metal angle-iron. One flange of each anglerack member has a plurality of opposing recesses 3 adapted to hold atool. Rack members I and 2 are connected by an X-support 4 comprised offirst and second intersecting arms 5 and 6. Arms 5 and 6 are pivotablyconnected at their intersection location 7 using any of the manyavailable connectors. The connector is of the type that can be readilyremoved and replaced. A nut and bolt inserted through openings in theintersecting arms can be used; A preferred means is the well-known snapfasteners which is pivotable and permits rapid change of connectionlocation.

One end of first arm 5 and second arm 6 is pivotably connected to thenon-recessed flange of first rack member I at locations 10 and 11. Theopposite end of first arm 5 and second arm 6 is pivotably connected tothe non-recessed flange of second rack member 2 at locations l2 and 13.

First arm 5 has at least two openings and 16 along its length inaddition to the opening at its ends. Second arm 6 has at least twoopenings 17 and 18. Openings l5, 16, 17 and 18 are adapted to receive apivotable connector such as a rivet, nut and bolt, or snap fastener. Asshown, openings 15 and 17 are in-line and pivotably connected.

Rack members 1 and 2 have openings at locations 11 and 13 proximate toone end and a plurality of openings at locations 20, 10, 21, 22, 12 and23 proximate their other end. Openings at 11 and 13 are adapted to forma pivotable connection to ends of arms 6 and 5. Openings at 20, 10 and21 are adapted to form a pivotable connection to the opposite end of arm5. Openings at 22, 12 and 23 are adapted to form a pivotable connectionto the opposite end of arm 6. Pivotable connections can be made by anyof many known means such as by rivet, nut and bolt, snap fastener, orother such connecting means. Preferably, the connectors are readblyconnected at location 7 by a pivotable connector installed at openings15 and 17 in arms 5 and 6. The geometric form of the tool holder whenarms 5 and 6 are connected at this location is shown by the solid line25 in FIG. 2.

Disengaging the connection at 7 allows rack members 1 and 2 to changetheir angular relationship to each other while arms 5 and 6 perform ascissor-like motion. Lining up positions 16 and 18 and forming apivotable connection results in a tool holder of entirely differentgeometric shape. This is shown by phantom line 26 inFIG. 2.

Alternatively, the shape may be changed by changing connection 10 and 12to either 20 and 22 or 21 and 23. Moving connection 10 and 12 to 20 and22 results in the geometric shape shown by phantom lines 27 in FIG. 2

It can be seen that the present invention provides a rack that isadjustable such that it can be changed by the user to any desiredconfiguration depending on what the user desires to place in therecesses in the rack.

I claim:

1. An adjustable tool holder comprising first and second rack members,said rack members having an angle cross-section, one flange of each ofsaid rack members having a plurality. of recesses adapted to receive andhold a tool, and first and second unitary intersecting arms forming anX-support member, each of said first and secondarms having a pluralityof longitudinally spaced openings, at least one of said openings in eacharm being off-center along the length of the arm, the openings in saidarms being equally spaced from their corresponding ends forming matchedpairs of openings on each of said first and second arms, each of saidmatched pairs of openings adapted to receive a pivotable connectingmeans, one of said matched pairs of openings being connected bypivotable connecting means, first matching ends of said first and ofsaid second intersecting arms being pivotably connected to thenon-recessed flanges of said first and of said second rack membersproximate one end, a plurality of spaced openings in said non-recessedflanges, the openings in each of said non-recessed flanges and beingequally spaced from their corresponding ends and forming matched pairsof flange openings, each of said matched pairs of flange openingsadapted to' receive a pivotable connector, the opposite matching ends ofsaid first and of said second intersecting arms being pivotablyconnected to one of said matched pairs of flange openings.

are snap fasteners.

1. An adjustable tool holder comprising first and second rack members,said rack members having an angle cross-section, one flange of each ofsaid rack members having a plurality of recesses adapted to receive andhold a tool, and first and second unitary intersecting arms forming anX-support member, each of said first and second arms having a pluralityof longitudinally spaced openings, at least one of said openings in eacharm being off-center along the length of the arm, the openings in saidarms being equally spaced from their corresponding ends forming matchedpairs of openings on each of said first and second arms, each of saidmatched pairs of openings adapted to receive a pivotable connectingmeans, one of said matched pairs of openings being connected bypivotable connecting means, first matching ends of said first and ofsaid second intersecting arms being pivotably connected to thenon-recessed flanges of said first and of said second rack membersproximate one end, a plurality of spaced openings in said non-recessedflanges, the openings in each of said non-recessed flanges and beingequally spaced from their corresponding ends and forming matched pairsof flange openings, each of said matched pairs of flange openingsadapted to receive a pivotable connector, the opposite matching ends ofsaid first and of said second intersecting arms being pivotablyconnected to one of said matched pairs of flange openings.
 2. Anadjustable rack of claim 1 wherein said pivotable connecting means aresnap fasteners.
 3. An adjustable rack of claim 2 wherein said pivotableconnections with the ends of said intersecting arms are snap fasteners.